Daily Republican., 1887-05-18
1rgsi ~ Diploma

The st. Paul Globe says: "Vice
President ingalls, had narrow cscape
about getting diploma from his alma
mater" remarked st. Paul gentle,
man who was Il former classmate n,
Williams College, where he was one
year ahead OF tue late President Gar
field, land the circumstances which
led to il may prove OF interest Near
| Williams College, in the town of Pitts.
| field, Massachusett3,i there was Young
lady's seminary known as Maplcwood
lnstitu'e, and one of the practices of
the good preceptrcss at the head was
TO give her charges an airing among
the Berkshire Hills in large omnibus
BY a combination of circumstances.
one day bus load of attractive fem
ininity pulled into the staid old col
lege grounds and fate led them past
West College, in one Of the rooms of
which was located Sophmore John ].
ingalls,. lie had provided himself
with large tin horn, and as the fair
school girls passed his quarters he gave
them an outburs' OF melody with his
horn that stirred the whole college
Nothing was said at the time, but a
few days later, when the class OF which
MIR. Ingalls, was a member assembled
TOR the customary rhetorical exercises.
President Mark Hopkins entered and
took chair on the rostrum. Tapping
the thumb of his left hand with his
eyeglasses iavorite habit, by the
way, when he wanted to scold a de-
linquent-he called attention 10 Stu.
dent ingalls, breach Of decorum, and
accused him of not being averse to
blowing his own horn upon every &C.
caeion.
"Under this castige,on from the
venerable President, Ingalls, remained
silent, but he was terribly enIaged,
and everybody in school knew that he
would Only bide his time to get even.
And it came on graduation day. Ac-
cording to usage he had prepared an
essay, which he entitled Mummy Life
at College, and this was submitted to
one OF the Professors for revision.
Naturally, 1t had To be toned, and
when the manuscript was returned to
MIR. ingalls, the most telling points, &C.
cording to his idea. were eliminated
Finally he was called upon to deliver
his essay before the assembled multi
tude on commencement day. and to
the horror Of president and faculty he
announced as his subject, College
Mummies.' In keen, sarcastic man.
ner, for which he has since become
foremost in the United States, lie paid
his respects to his tutors, and persisted
in finishing his remarks, although re
peatedly told to stop.
''Then he sat down and awaited de.
velopments. After short pause O d.
ploma was handed him, bu. to his
amazement and chagrin it was a mere
blank 30 far as any testimonial of merit
was concerned. But Ingalls, again
out"itted the faculty, for previous to
delivering his speech he lad visited
the college treasurer, paid his bill. and
obtained a receipt which included a
certificate of graduation as Bachelor
OF Arts. To this he called the atten-
ton OF the faculty, adding that if they
persisted in refusing him what was his
by rights he would at once institute a
suit against the college. A few days
later he was made happy by receiving
a properly signed and authenticated
document showing him to be gradu-
ate OF Williams in good standing. This
took place in 1855, and twenty five
years later he had greater revenge
When his alma mater not only chose
MN to deliver the annual Grafton, but
at his close conferred upon him with
out solicitation the degree of Doctor of
Laws"